


Tying the Knot

by NonbinaryHylian (chicagoartnerd)



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Alien Cultural Differences, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Optimus is oblivious, Spark Sexual Interfacing, Sticky Sexual Interfacing, Transformers Spark Bonds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 22:42:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19037077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chicagoartnerd/pseuds/NonbinaryHylian
Summary: Optimus Prime gets overcharged during a victory celebration and tells everyone about a very intense 'friendship' he had with a certain Tarnian miner. Everyone listening was once a lower caste mech, unlike well-off archivist Orion Pax, and realizes the sort of relationship he is describing was actually the poor masses common law marriage.Appropriate shenanigans ensue.Megatron has waited 4 million years for him to figure it out, after all.





	Tying the Knot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seekingjets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekingjets/gifts).



> This is self indulgent nonsense from a plot bunny by @ seekingjets on Twitter. I hope ya'll enjoy it. I couldn't not write it. Also it's un-beta'd because I wrote it today in a rush of dire inspiration lol hope it's still passably readable. 
> 
> Also sorry all I haven't updated The Poet and the Prime in a month I've been chugging away at my Transformers Big Bang, it's 30k and counting. I have more updates and Transformers content on my Twitter @basilbing if anyone wants to follow me. <3
> 
> Also check out the end of the fic for the Mandarin translation. It's so wonderful someone wanted to translate this. <3 Thank you so much for allowing new users to read it in their native language!
> 
> Another update I commissioned @ gaybravado on Twitter to make a beautiful cover for this fic and they did a fantastic job!!!! I put the cover at the beginning of the fic!

 

Everyone in Autobot City was celebrating their latest victory against the Decepticons and getting royally overcharged. Optimus usually didn’t partake in the festivities but Ironhide had persuaded him to join the rest of the crew in the Ark rec room and drink a little high grade. Maybe more than a little if the pleasant warmth that was spreading over his face plate and chest was any indication. It was good to see his soldiers, his _friends_ , having fun. Even if he had never been very good at cutting loose himself.

Before he had been a Prime back when he was a junior archivist, his wildest nights out had been in the Iaconian archives reading ancient epic ballads. There had been some pretty explicit stuff in some of those. It was all couched in lovely flowing glyphs but he knew what they were talking about. All the truly smutty ones he had only read so his knowledge was comprehensive of course.

Everyone around him was circled up. He was sitting slightly back from the circle even though they had made room for him on either side. There was always a little bit of a gap, he was never quite part of the circle. Was the engex making him melancholy now? Optimus knew he could never truly sit among his friends as one of them, because of what he was now, but he still tried. That was what was expected of him, also he wanted to, wanted to belong.

So when the discussion turned from old war tales and cheeky stories of past pranks to romantic relationships he tried not to feel too uncomfortable. He had so many friends, all of them wonderful in different ways, it shouldn’t wound him to admit he’d never had a romantic relationship. Well not really. Did intense life changing friendships gone horrifically wrong count? The last thing he needed to do during the festivities was bring the mood down by talking about _him_.

So he remained politely attentive, trying not to notice how bawdy some of the stories Bumblebee and Swideswipe were telling were.

He wasn't expecting to be included in this particular conversation so he almost jumped when Bumblebee turned to him animatedly. “What about you Optimus? I know for a fact you and Ratchet were friends back when he was ‘the party ambulance’ instead of the ‘hatchet.’ Got any good stories?”

Only Bumblebee was brave enough, or drunk enough, to ask him that. Everyone else around the circle froze. Ironhide was now watching him very carefully out of the corner of his optics. He knew he didn’t have to answer, that no one really expected him to. He could brush it off and change the subject. Maybe it was the high grade but he wanted to answer, even if he didn’t really have any tales of his own.

He rumbled his engine in a low laugh. “I know far too many of Ratchet’s scandalous stories but he’d probably subject me to several oil changes if I told you any of them. As for me, there really isn’t much to tell.”

Several people around him relaxed. That would probably be the end of it.

Too bad Bumblebee didn’t know when to quit about anything ever. Only he had the steel to ask Optimus about his mostly non-existent love life. He grinned at him across the circle. “Aw come on? Not even from your time back in the academy? I know you had a lot of friends, any of them more than that?”

Ironhide was glaring at Bumblebee now and everyone was back to being tense. Some of the bots around him were suddenly very sober. Optimus stared down at his mostly empty glass of engex. There wasn’t really a reason to lie, other than to protect his own ego, and really was it that fragile?

Optimus ex-vented heavily. “I had many friends, some of them still fight here alongside me, but I’ve never had the kind of relationship you’re referring to. Well, not one that was reciprocated anyway.”

He felt Ironhide’s field flare in alarm from several bots away because he knew exactly who he was referring to. He opened his mouth, no doubt to yell at Bumblebee, but Bee cut him off as he eagerly spoke. “That’s not ‘nothing to tell’ spill it, what were they like? This bot you that had you pining in unrequited love?”

Several interested pairs of optics were now looking at him as Ironhide tried to glare them all into to silence, his field flashing like a warning light. Everyone was apparently too overcharged to notice. Pining was probably a good word for it. Whatever it was he had once felt for Megatron all those years ago that came pretty close. He knew he probably shouldn’t, but maybe he could talk about their relationship without mentioning his designation or any identifying details specifically. Everyone was awfully drunk after all...

Optimus wasn’t sure why he wanted to talk about it now. Was he feeling nostalgic? Morose, wistful, or just overcharged like everyone else?

He met Bumblebee’s mischievous blue optics, his voice low. “He was a writer, a poet. That was what he truly was at spark anyway but it was during Functionism so what they actually had him doing was manual labor. I had just been hired as a junior archivist in the Iaconian archives and he was visiting the city for a literary symposium. I had read his work on the intranet and I desperately wanted to talk to him about it. He had the most wonderful way with words, clever and precise, so cuttingly insightful. We talked for hours that first time we met, it felt like I had known him my entire life.”

Everyone around him was listening intently now. Bumblebee was smiling at him warmly and the only person in the circle who wasn’t relaxed now was Ironhide, his field had gotten even more turbulent, roiling around his head and shoulders. He knew exactly who Optimus was referring to.

Optimus stared out past them all, lost in the memories he hadn’t wanted to let himself feel for millions of years as he continued. “When he returned to his city for work we spoke over comms all the time, talked about anything and everything. I missed him terribly but we were from different worlds. It wasn’t...it wasn’t meant to be. Then I became a Prime and the war happened and I had so many other more important things to worry about. I suppose I just never thought of anyone else like that after him.”

Bumblebee was looking at him sadly now. “Oh Optimus that’s so, so tragic! You were star-crossed lovers, did you...do you know if he still functions? Did you ever tell him how you felt?”

Bee was more right than he knew. And yes he most definitely still functioned, much to his dismay. And his embarrassing hope. Optimus knew he shouldn’t continue, he’d already said far too much. Yet it was like the words were being pulled straight from his spark, he’d never told anyone else about this, not even Ratchet.

“I never said it out loud, I should have. Maybe things would have been different then. We...there was a day when we were able to meet up again, I took him to the archives, he’d never seen so many datapads all in one place before. And then he took me to Maccadam’s and we danced, rather badly if I'm honest. After all that we went up to the top of the planetary observation tower and looked at the stars. He turned towards me and I thought...I had thought he might say it. I should have said it.”

He looked down at his wrist, repaired over and over again after so many battles as he continued in his a hushed tone. "Instead he silently tore off a bit of his wrist faring, a small silver strip of metal, and offered it to me like a flower. I didn’t understand until he motioned for me to do the same, which I did. Then he took both pieces and wove them together. Red and silver forming the most intricate and beautiful knot I’d ever seen. It was so delicate and surprisingly heavy when he placed it back in my hand. He did say then that we’d be together forever now, I was so overwhelmed I never said anything back. I just hugged him and we held each other close. Chest to chest for a long while, till the sun rose pink in the morning sky. After that I...I never saw him again like that. The war...it ruined a great many beautiful things.”

Everyone in the circle was staring at him with wide blue optics in shock. Bumblebee looked utterly poleaxed as he jumped to his feet and practically shouted pointing at him. “Optimus! That was a-”

Ironhide cut him off by scooping him up and bellowing at the rest of the gathered bots. “That’s o’ nuff of that! Everyone back tew yer berths! Sleep it off! NOW!”

There was a funny pause before everyone was running out of the room in a hurry. Ironhide hefted Bee higher in his arms and slapped a hand over his mouth before calling back to Optimus. “Good night Prime! Get sum recharge, sleep all o’ this off.”

And then he was alone in the rec room with his thoughts. They didn’t let him recharge well. His spark had that old familiar ache. Sometimes it got so bad it physically hurt, like an energy dagger plunged in his chest. It was never anything he couldn’t bear though.

He had survived so many more painful experiences and injuries since then. It was just the old familiar pang of loss at what could have been. Nothing he needed to tell anyone about and have them worry over. Not like he the things he had said tonight. The last thing he needed was to destroy morale.

 

* * *

 

Optimus got a comm first thing in the morning that Prowl wanted to see him immediately. That it was urgent and that he come to his office without stopping to talk to anyone. Which was worrying. He wondered if the Decepticons were planning another attack so soon after the last one. He didn’t meet anyone in the hallways of the Ark and when he pinged Prowl’s office door it snapped back instantly.

He was sitting at his desk looking as serious and grave as usual with Ratchet standing at his side. The medic, on the other hand, looked pissed off, as the humans would say.

That was not good.

He gestured for Optimus to sit and he did nervously. Prowl steepled both hands in front of his optics before he spoke. “Ironhide informed me of an incident that occurred last night while the crew was celebrating in the rec room. Bumblebee asked you some extremely private questions and Ironhide was under the impression that you answered them truthfully. Is that correct?”

Optimus was utterly lost for a second. What did that have to do with anything strategy or war related?

Before he could answer Ratchet ground out a series of rapid fire questions at him. “How are you feeling Optimus? Does your spark ache? Does it hurt like a piece of it is missing? A sort of phantom pain you’ve been hiding from your SLAGGING CMO FOR SEVERAL MILLION YEARS!? WHO CAN’T TAKE CARE OF YOU IF YOU DON’T TELL ME WHEN YOU’RE ACTUALLY HURTING!?”

Optimus’s blue optics widened at that. He wasn’t sure he could respond correctly and was glad when Prowl addressed Ratchet instead. “Ratchet now is not the time to berat-”

Ratchet’s engine growled angrily. “He’s a self-sacrificing slagging bolt head! I will berate him all I want when it comes to medical matters, especially when those medical matters concern him and his health! He's been wandering around with an incomplete sparkbond for several million years in constant, chronic, low-level pain and didn’t think it was bad enough TO MENTION TO HIS MEDIC AND OLDEST FRIEND!!”

_What!?_

Wait...what did a sparkbond have to do with the occasional pain in his chest? He’d never merged his spark with anyone else's before. He had no idea what Ratchet was talking about. They both noticed his bewildered expression and Ratchet deflated, his puffed up red and white plating clamping tight around his frame as he turned to Prowl and ground out between clenched teeth. “You tell him. I obviously won’t do it right.”

Prowl’s expression got even more serious than it had been before. Optimus's energon ran cold, he wasn’t sure how that was even possible.

He looked him straight in the optics as he spoke. “If the story you told Ironhide and the rest of the Autobots last night is the truth then...that is to say...what you described was a lower caste sparkbonding ceremony. They were popular among labor class bots in cities like Tarn and Kaon as they didn’t require a formal public declaration and registration in the Iacon hall of records, which was often out of their means to pay for. Also the Functionist Council heavily monitored applications and approvals of sparkbonds to disallow any 'inappropriate' matches, especially between labor class and intellectual caste mechs. Thus these informal unions happened often but still represented a serious commitment from both bots. I need to ask this as it is a matter of Autobot military security, even though it is a breach of your privacy. Did you...did you ever, in any time after the ceremony, consummate it and fully sparkmerge with him?”

Optimus was staring at both of them blankly as his processor screeched in between his ears.

 

No. Nonononono. _Oh nooooooooo._ Slag. Fuckfuckfragslagdamnitfraggingshitfucksonnavaglitchdamn.

 

Ratchet was rushing to his side to bend him forward and push his vents wide out and open while muttering. “Vent, in and out, hold it while counting to three and then release it. Good. Just like that, do it until you’re not overheating any more. One, two, three.”

He did as he was told numbly and tried to focus on the whoosh of hot air hissing from his vents. It was helping but the panic was still there waiting to seize him again. What had he done? All these years he had been...they were. _What had he done?_

Ratchet could see the panic attack returning with a vengeance as he grabbed Optimus by the shoulders and pulled him up to look at his face. It was stern and full of concern but gentle as well. He relaxed slightly as Ratchet tried to soothe him despite his terrible bedside manner. “Hey. Look at me. We’ll sort this out Optimus. We’re all here for you, it will be okay.”

He was quite sure it wouldn’t be okay. That it hadn’t been for a long time. Though Ratchet’s assurances did help calm his rapidly spinning spark.

He ex-vented raggedly and murmured. “No. We never did. I had no idea...I didn’t know that was what that night had been until just now.”

Both Prowl and Ratchet visibly relaxed, their shoulders slumping slightly. Ratchet patted the wheels on his back reassuringly. “That’s fine. In fact it's a good thing you didn’t. Primus only knows how the war would have gone if you had. There are some procedures I can do to sever the resonance so there won’t be any more disharmonic pain. You should have told me earlier though. There was absolutely no reason for you to be running around fighting axe to sword with him while having untreated spark pain for several million years.”

Optimus’s hand flew to his chest and he looked at Ratchet in alarm. He had gotten used to the hole in his spark, had thought it was only a mental sort of anguish. Now he knew what it was though and irrationally he didn’t want Ratchet to take it from him. That pain was the last bit of Megatron he still had. He couldn’t say that out loud though. They were his friends, his soldiers, but he knew they wouldn’t understand. It made no sense to him either, unless...unless he still loved him.

His spark sang at the thought and the Matrix pulsed reassuringly around it. Oh. _Oh slag_.

He couldn’t tell them that revelation that was for damn sure. They’d never let him anywhere near a battlefield with Megatron on it ever again. Not that they could stop him, but he really didn’t want to fight his own people. Especially Ironhide and Ratchet, his oldest friends. No. He couldn’t tell them what he was thinking and he absolutely couldn’t tell them what he was planning. It was treason of the highest order. And yet...he couldn’t not do it. Not now that he _knew_.

Optimus ex-vented carefully and addressed them both in a steady neutral intonation. “I see. We can discuss doing that later. For now I’d like to take some personal time to reflect on these troubling facts. If that’s all you required of me I’ll return back in my hab. You can reach me there if there's an emergency otherwise I would like to be left alone.”

Ratchet watched stunned as he stood and moved towards the door. He reached out to touch him again but Prowl must have sent him an internal comm because he scowled back at him instead as Optimus fled the room.

He practically ran back to his habsuite, his processor and spark racing so wildly it felt like he was in the middle of a battlefield. Perhaps he was.

As soon as he was inside he locked the door and pushed his desk against it for good measure. There was no going back if he did this. What he was thinking of doing. He knew tactically speaking it was probably a suicide mission, their cause would be so vulnerable if something happened to him. But he had to try. Now that he knew the truth he couldn’t let it go.

Shaking slightly he asked Teletran 1 to use their private encrypted video channel to hail the _Nemesis_. He no longer had Megatron’s private comm channel. It had been a long time since he had changed it and ignored all his requests for access.

It took several minutes for the video message to connect and he tried to collect himself. He felt all the high grade from last night threatening to purge from his tanks.

Why? What was he doing this for? Desperate hope.

When the call did finally connect he didn’t jump as Megatron’s face filled the view screen on the wall of his habsuite. Soundwave and Starscream had flanked him on either side.

When Megatron saw it was just Optimus, alone in his room he raised an optic ridge and sneered at him. “What do you want Prime? To gloat about your most recent pyrrhic victory? I thought high handed moralizing was more your style. You’re not going to do that are you? I will hang up.”

Just hearing his voice made his whole frame ache. Scrap.

Why hadn’t he realized it before? There was no going back now though. He clasped his hands hard in his lap as he tried to address Megatron evenly. “Actually this is more of a private matter that I had hoped to discuss with you alone.”

Megatron’s optics flickered with uncertainty, until they narrowed and the sneer returned to his features, all bravado once again. “I’m not falling for that. Whatever is so important you wish to discuss with me alone you can say it here; in front of my SIC, lieutenant, and all my officers.”

Optimus did make a pained expression at that. It must have shown even behind his battlemask because that flicker of unease was back in Megatron’s glowing red optics. Well if all his Autobots knew about it now he might as well tell all of Megatron’s people as well. If they didn’t already know that is. He had a sinking suspicion they did.

He cringed visibly and Soundwave’s red visor lit up in alarm as he spoke. “Very well have it your way. I called to ask you a question, it is something I should have asked a long time ago." His voice strained higher as he tried to choke it out. "I...that is...are we bonded?”

Megatron’s face looked the same as it did that time Optimus had shot him point blank in the chest with his own fusion cannon. Starscream made a choked off hacking noise behind him like someone had just stepped viciously on his throat. Soundwave was reaching out for Megatron’s shoulder but stopped halfway there, unsure of himself.

Megatron regained his composure first as he ex-vented in a puff and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I suppose I will take this one call on my _private_ comm frequency. Hold a moment.”

The call clicked off, they were still connected but there was no longer a video feed. It took a surprisingly long time for the video to reconnect. Optimus was wringing his hands hands so hard in his lap that blue paint was flaking off of them in a tiny shower. When Megatron did reconnect he appeared to be sitting in front of a screen, alone in his habsuite as well.

His expression was sullen as he glared angrily at Optimus. “Pit Prime. It took you fragging long enough. Why now of all times though? What made you...we’ve both been fighting each other for four million years and you never noticed before. What has changed?”

Optimus’s frame shook with how hard he ex-vented. So it was true. He had...they were...oh Primus he was the worst kind of fool.

This whole time.

Megatron had known this whole time and had never said anything, even though his spark must have been aching painfully too. Every time they fought, hand to hand, sword to axe, their sparks had been reaching out for one another.

When they fought he had always felt rage in his field, so much rage. But the reason Optimus had never been able to deal him a killing blow was because he also sensed his regret. His field had always contained a deep tinge of regret when they fought. He had assumed, he had thought, that it was because there was still good in him somewhere. That he really didn’t want to be fighting like this anymore. Maybe he was half right.

Optimus mumbled. “I got overcharged last night and told everyone what we did on the observation deck of astronomy building. No one said anything at the time, probably because Ironhide chased them all out of the room. But this morning I had a very tense meeting with Prowl and Ratchet where they explained some things about...Tarnian wedding traditions.”

Megatron laughed, it was a sharp bark of a laugh. It still made Optimus smile behind his battlemask.

His features resettled into stony seriousness after that, even though his optics were still full of amusement. “Do you mean to tell me it took you 4 million years to realize we had been courting and I’d sparkbonded you the only way I knew how, the only way either of us could afford to in the eyes of the Functionist Council, simply because you had no knowledge of lower class traditions? Really Optimus?”

He felt his energon rush to his face, he was glad most of it was covered by the mask.

Unfortunately Megatron had known him too long and could tell.

His smile was deviously crooked. “I feel like this would be a perfect opportunity to launch into a lecture about the evils of the caste system and form defining function, but as enjoyable at that would be for both of us that isn’t why you called. What do you want Optimus?”

That was a deeply loaded question.

His tanks roiled as his spark tried to leap out of his chest. He wanted the war to be over. He wanted a strong lasting peace, he wanted to stop offlining his fellow Cybertronians. He wanted...he wanted freedom for all sentient beings, including Megatron. And slag it all he wanted Megatron.

From the moment he met him he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. In a horribly twisted way he had been.

Could they find a solution? Would he want to try another way? The only way to find out was to ask. To ask was to make his feelings and intentions known and horrifically vulnerable. He wasn’t sure if he could answer the question of what he wanted. It was pathetic really, after all these war-torn years he was finding himself just as much as a coward as he had been back then. Unable to say want he wanted because of how painfully badly he wanted it.

Then the right kind of bright idea struck him.

He reached into his subspace and when his fingers touched it both of their frames jolted. He pulled out the knot of their two pieces of frame, woven intimately together and showed it to him through the screen.

Megatron’s voice was deadly flat and quiet. “You kept it.”

It wasn’t a question. He nodded emphatically. “Of course I kept it. It was the only piece of you I had left besides the pain in my spark, and I didn't know what that even was until today.”

Megatron’s jaw was clenched and he nodded slowly. “You didn’t answer the question Prime. What.Do.You.Want?”

It felt so easy all of sudden, like letting go of a massive weight he had been dragging behind him for too long. “Didn’t I?” He looked down and stroked the twisting silver thread of Megatron’s metal in the design of the knot. His voice was resolute when he spoke. “I want you. I always have. I’ve never stopped, even after all fighting, even though I didn’t know...about what this truly meant.”

Megatron’s hand was gripping so hard on the desk in front of him it dented the metal. He didn’t meet Optimus’s optics as he spoke. “At the time I thought you knew what it meant and I was so elated. It was only later, after the battle lines were drawn, that I realized you hadn’t known. Why would you need to know our little lower caste traditions when you were a squarely middle class data clerk? It stung but I thought if I was angry enough it wouldn’t matter. That if I let the rage fill that hole where you had once been then I could move on. And for many years it worked, somewhat, and then I came to hope you would never realize it. That one of us would simply end the other and then all of it would be over. It wouldn’t matter that you didn’t know what you and I had once promised each other.”

Optimus’s spark hurt. It lurched towards Megatron’s image on the screen. If the slight wince was anything to go by he had felt it too. He un-clenched his hand from the table, the deep grooves in the metal visible now as he waved it dismissively at him. “Stop that. I don’t need your pity or your understanding Prime. It doesn’t matter much now anyway.”

Optimus slammed his hands down on his own thighs with such a resoundingly loud clank that it made Megatron meet his optics in shock. “Oh course it matters! I have...I have wronged you egregiously all these years. Ignorance on my part is no excuse. Never once, not once did you fling it in my face. You never used it as a weapon against me when you could have. It would have been very effective and you know it. But you didn’t. You never said a word, simply let yourself suffer in silence. So I can’t help but feel that perhaps this isn’t hopeless. That we aren’t hopeless.”

Megatron’s laugh was just a breathless hiss this time. He looked away from Optimus and smirked. “Is that your way of offering your unconditional surrender to the Decepticon army then?”

Optimus scowled reflexively. “Of course not, don’t be such a newspark.”

Megatron rolled his optics and was about to say something sarcastic and biting when Optimus cut him off dramatically. “A ceasefire at first. Then a truce. After that we can work out terms and peace negotiations going forward.”

Megatron went very still. “You would do that? All of that. Why?”

Optimus offlined his optics and pinched the bridge of his nose before releasing his battlemask. Megatron’s optics snapped to his face at the sound, roving over it greedily as if he hadn’t seen it for too long.

They locked gazes as Optimus spoke steadily, like it was the easiest thing he had ever said and not the hardest. “I don’t want to fight like this anymore. I don’t want to offline my fellow Cybertronians anymore. I’m tired of hurting them, of hurting you. I want peace and I want you. I always have and I always will. So know this: even if we can’t come to terms, even if I must keep stopping all of your schemes and plots, I will never stop loving you. The only thing I am sorry for is for taking this damn long to say it.”

Megatron was looking at him... in a way he hadn’t looked at him for four million years. He hoped that meant what he thought it meant. Why did both of them have such a hard time just saying what they felt? It was ridiculous.

He smiled hopefully back at him and that got him a reaction. Megatron blushed! Oh he hadn’t seen that since Iacon still existed. He’d missed it, he’d missed him.

Megatron cleared his vocalizer and gazed at him levelly. “Fine. A ceasefire for now then. Meet me at these coordinates...alone Prime.”

And with that he disconnected the call. Optimus stared at the blank screen in a daze. Had that really just happened? He had a comm in his inbox with a set of coordinates, that was from Megatron’s private comm channel! He immediately squashed the urge to comm him right back excitedly. Oh what had he just done?!

Ratchet, Prowl, and Ironhide were going to give him the grandest verbal beat down for this. He looked at the coordinates again and noticed there was a time as well. It was for later this night. His spark skipped a beat in his chest. He was going to have to sneak out, oh look more treason.

Which was easier said than done with how very conspicuous he was. Optimus couldn’t tell his officers though, not yet, they would never let him leave. Would probably all sit on top of him if they had to. If he told them what had just happened they would know what he intended to do. What he hoped desperately would happen when he met Megatron.

Optimus felt guilty about withholding this from them but he couldn’t let anyone stop him, this was too important.

So it was with a guilty conscience that he comm’d Bumblebee. He told him most of the truth. Explained that he needed to sneak out of Autobot City and go visit his long lost love that he had been reminded of last night. That he wanted Bumblebee’s help even if he knew it would technically be treason as his bonded was on the other side of the war. He knew before he even asked though that Bumblebee would say yes, would absolutely help him. And it made him feel a deep shame for asking him to.

Bumblebee managed to hack the camera systems and all the gate locks on a back street route out of the city after moonrise. As soon as he was out of the city limits he transformed into a semi-truck and took off across the desert towards the coordinates he had been given. He should have been prepared for a trap but really he was vibrating with excitement.

He saw Megatron’s black silhouette along the canyon lip from far away. He wanted to transform instantly and run to him but instead he approached carefully in truck form until he was only about twenty meters away before unfolding to stand at his full height. Megatron had been watching him approach, his gaze unreadable.

When he spoke it was a low rasp that made Optimus shiver. “I wasn’t sure you would come alone.”

He shrugged helplessly in response. What he was hoping for was not something the rest of the Autobot command team needed to witness.

Megatron must have felt it in his field because he smiled darkly then and gestured for him to come closer and to sit down. Both of them sunk down on the golden sand turned gray in the moonlight of the canyon lip next to each other and looked up at the stars. There were no lights out here other than their optics and the stars were splashed across the sky in glowing white waves just like...just like the night he had accidentally married him.

Oh Primus he hoped it was just like the last time they had sat like this under the stars.

Perhaps he should be the one to propose this time.

Without a word his reached down to his wrist and dug into the blue fairing there and pulled it apart, tearing it back in a thin strip. He felt Megatron's optics burning a hole into his hands as he offered it to him. His hand shot out instantly and he plucked it from his fingers like he was afraid he would take it back. Optimus watched in fascination as Megatron carefully ripped off the black fairing around his own wrist and twisted it together with Optimus’s blue metal. When he started to form the knot Optimus stopped him and Megatron froze. Optimus rumbled at him reassuringly before gently taking the two pieces of metal from his slightly shaking fingers and tying them into a less elegant, but still passable, sailor’s knot.

He offered it to Megatron who was staring at it like it was everything he had ever wanted, maybe it was in a way.

Optimus smiled and tried to remember the exact words he had used. “With this act I bind myself to you forever, not even death shall separate our sparks.” And then he added for good measure. “I love you. I hope that it will be enough.”

Megatron made a choked off noise in his vocalizer as he reached to take the less beautiful knot from his hands. The colors from their hands were different now, blue and black vs red and silver. It was still them, both knots were them twinned together. As soon as he had taken it from him Optimus reached into his subspace and pulled out the much neater beautifully braided knot from the first time this happened and smiled. “Good. Now we have a matching set.”

Megatron laughed and it was full of joy, if strangely watery. When Optimus looked up at him questioningly he simply shook his head and leaned in closer. His red optics dimmed, lips almost touching his battlemask as he murmured. “Would it be alright if I kissed my sparkmate now? I have been waiting oh so patiently to, _for four million years_.” The last part came out as a growl.

Optimus’s battlemask snapped back with an audible click as he closed the distance between them. The kiss was so soft, tentative, at first. Like he was afraid of scaring him away. Startling sweet and tender, Optimus sighed into it.

That seemed to be all the encouragement Megatron needed as he grabbed Optimus by the collar plating, pulling him flush against him and licked into his mouth. He moaned as he felt both their sparks surge brightly against his chest, and wrapped his arms around the back of Megatron’s neck. He wanted him closer, as close as they could get, and then closer still.

His spark was singing and the Matrix was rattling excitedly in his chest. Megatron must have been able to feel it too as he was shaking slightly as they broke apart. Optimus didn’t even think about it, he laid down on his back, on the sandy ground and spread his legs wide to make room for Megatron. Then he opened his chest plates to reveal the Matrix and his spark. It transformed and shifted out of the way and he felt a strong burst of approval from it as it exposed the bright blue light of his spark. Its flickering illumination danced dark shadows over Megatron’s awed face.

Optimus bit his lip. He wanted it all. Primus he wanted this so much his spark flickered with the strength of his desire. Without second guessing himself he transformed his array panel away over his valve, that did cause Megatron to finally look away from his spark. His optics were wide as he huffed a soundless laugh. “Eager are we?” It was barely teasing, it was filled with so much wonder.

Optimus didn’t want to wait though.

His blue optics were a smoldering navy as he rumbled up at him. “Yes. Don’t pretend like you’re not as well. In fact, I suspect you’ve been waiting for this longer than I have.”

Megatron snorted and moved forwards, carefully situating Optimus’s legs around his hips, hands dipping down to lightly stroke the protomesh folds of his silver and blue valve. Optimus shuddered and the light from his spark strobed across Megatron’s body in front of him. He pushed two fingers into him tortuously slowly and Optimus groaned.

It was tight, he didn’t use his valve often but he wanted to this. It didn’t matter if it hurt a little a first, when they were in the merge that wouldn’t matter. It would feel incredible, he knew it, needed it.

Megatron moved his fingers in and out just as carefully and Optimus’s engine growled. “Stop teasing me. I can handle it!” And then quieter. “Please.”

Megatron scowled at him and curled his fingers inside him as Optimus bucked up against them. “I’m not going to injure you doing this of all things. Primus knows I’ve wounded you enough for several life times. I won’t be doing it now, and certainly not because of your lack proper _patience_.”

On the last word he added a third finger and Optimus shouted out at the sensation. It didn’t hurt, although it did pinch a little at first, he was being so gentle with him. His cooling fans were working under strain even in the nighttime desert air. Megatron’s had clicked on as well, his field was practically purring hot and satisfied around both of them.

There was a tiny pang of uncertainty in it too and Optimus tried to reach out and soothe it away with his own extremely hot and content field. Megatron ex-vented in a controlled sigh as he added a fourth finger and started to circle and pinch at the glowing blue biolight of his anterior node. Optimus arched up off the ground in a silent shout. His spark crackling with charge as he overloaded from just Megatron’s fingers in his valve, helplessly clawing at the ground on either side of his hips.

Megatron was watching avidly, his face hungry with wonder again but his field felt impossibly smug. Optimus groaned as his hips hit the ground again with a loud thud. He was going to try and goad him on faster when he heard the tell-tale sound of Megatron releasing his array paneling.

His head snapped up and he watched with wide blue optics as his matte gunmetal gray spike pressurized up against his valve lips. He now understood why Megatron had tried to get most of his fist inside him. Primus. He would not have been able to handle that as well on their first wedding night as he could now after the Matrix induced frame change.

Megatron felt the shock and lust rumbling through his field and smiled smugly down at him. “Like what you see Prime?”

Optimus rolled his optics. “Yes. Pit  _yes_. Do you really need me to stroke your ego right now?”

Megatron rumbled a laugh as he took his spike in his hand as slid it through the folds of his valve, the head of it pushing against his sensitized anterior node, making him squirm. “Let me enjoy seeing you like this alright. I never thought I would get the chance to.”

He hadn’t meant to say that last part out loud and winced slightly. Optimus reached up and laid a sympathetic hand on the side of his face. “Megatron. I’m so sorry I should have-”

Megatron cut him off with a vicious snarl. “Don’t you dare! Not now, not while I'm doing this.” He seemed to calm down slightly as the pain that flared through his field died just as quickly as it had shown up. When he spoke it was a low whisper. “Let me just...feel this once.”

Optimus swallowed hard, his spark felt like it was trying to crawl up his intake even though he knew it was glowing openly up at the night sky. “Megatron. You can do this with me whenever you want from now on, within reason of course. Pit I want you to. I will actually be very disappointed if you don’t.”

Again that shell-shocked expression crossed his features and he stopped moving his spike against his valve in those maddening circles. Optimus whined and that seemed to snap him out of whatever strange state of mind he was in. His boiling red optics snapped to his as he grabbed his hips and pulled them up higher, sinking into his valve in one fluid snap of his hips. Optimus gasped under him as he ground out. “Good.”

He started to move and Optimus threw his head back hard against the dirt as he pushed his hips up against Megatron’s. His hands pulled Megatron down closer to him, curled over top of him as he fragged him. He could barely think it felt so good, it felt right. It was as if they had been doing this for the last four million years, oh how he wished they had been doing this for the last four million years.

He tried to find his words but all that came out was garbled static. Megatron’s optics were locked on his spark pulsing in his chest. Optimus was so close to another overload but he wanted Megatron to come with him, in the merge. His fans screeched angrily as he reached up and laid a heavy hand in the middle of Megatron’s chest. He couldn’t speak but Megatron listened anyway.

His chest plating transformed away to reveal his bright green spark pulsing excitedly within its casing. Optimus let his fingers dip into its corona and felt Megatron shudder inside him. He removed his fingers to his shoulder and started to pull him closer. He let him pull him in willingly and pressed their two chest together. Optimus leaned up to kiss him hard as their sparks reached out for each other. There was a breathless moment where they weren’t yet touching, an empty throb, and then they tangled together, sinking into each other. He couldn’t tell which one of them had cried out, it was probably both of them. It felt incredible.

In the merge there was no hiding, no lying, no deceiving. Yet Megatron had wanted to do this with him, just as desperately as he had. He felt him express exasperation at that. It felt like him kissing him and like he was doing the kissing. The same with that glorious spike in his valve. Megatron was amused at that thought until Optimus ground up against him and both of their sparks flashed together in pleasure. Desire, satisfaction, love, longing, so much longing, pain, joy. Bright white hot joy.

It was passing back and forth between them, feeding each other's sparks, getting stronger and stronger. Optimus felt the pain of his incomplete sparkbond shatter. They were one now. Both of them shouted in ecstasy as they overloaded together, their sparks humming warmly in perfect harmony. It was so much. It was perfect.

Both of them felt that way now.

Reluctantly, Megatron was the first to pull away, he felt the longing again and reached out for him after they transformed their chest panels closed again. Megatron kissed him passionately this time. His valve was a mess of their mixing transfluid but Megatron was still hard and buried inside him. Optimus was exhausted and could barely move but he wanted him so much. That thought tore through their newly finished sparkbond and Megatron’s engine roared as he started to move his hips in ernest.

  _Yes! Yesyesyesyes!_

They both sent that thought. All Optimus could do was hold on. His arms wrapped around his neck, trying to sloppily keep kissing him as he was pounded into the dirt, in the best way imaginable. Megatron overloaded with a roar and _“Mine!”_ was passed back and forth through the bond by both of them, growing stronger and stronger.

This time Megatron did pull out of him and he felt oddly empty. Wordless comfort came through the bond and Optimus smiled. Oh that was...he could get used to that.

Megatron rolled his optics but he was exhausted as well as he fell down on the ground next to Optimus, their shoulders touching. He reached out and grabbed his hand fiercely. Megatron squeezed it back hard and both of their fields fell like a beautifully warm blanket drifting down over top of them. They were staring up at the stars now, the whole of creation wheeling over them through the blackness of the void. He turned his face away from it to look at Megatron.

Optimus knew he needed to say it, even though he could send it through the bond. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t realize what it meant the first time, didn’t even think to ask or...go find out for myself. I suppose I wasn’t a very good researcher after all.”

Megatron shook his head and looked at him seriously out of the corner of his optics, there was only sedate fondness coming through the bond though. “I didn’t care. That first night on the roof under the stars was the best night of my life. All you did was hold me, we didn’t even complete the sparkmerge as is customary, but it was more than I ever thought I would have as a miner from Tarn. I didn’t mind that we couldn’t make it official at first, I intended to do so after overthrowing the Senate at any rate. It was only later, after you became Prime that I realized you didn’t know. Had no idea what you had committed to that night. It was...I used my rage to fuel my first campaign. The longer the war dragged on the more I realized I should have never done that. Not without asking you first. Maybe then things would have been different.”

Regret, deep regret. That was something he knew very well. He shook his head. “No it was my privilege, my place as someone ‘higher’ in that wretched caste system that made me never even think to ask. To never think to admit I loved you, to propose we bond. Even though I wanted to. I’ve been in love with you for four million years, yes even after all that you’ve done. After all that I’ve done too I suppose.”

There was only glowing affection rolling off of him as he smirked deviously at him. “‘Wretched caste system’ eh? I’ll make an honest Decepticon out of you yet.”

Optimus laughed. “Isn’t that an oxymoron? Also there doesn’t need to be any factions any more. We can just be Cybertronians, all of us, together.”

Megatron was unsure, he wanted to believe him, he felt that too. He wasn’t sure how else to convince him, other than with his conviction and love. He prayed that would be enough.

He sat up and pulled a microfiber cloth out his subspace to clean himself up with. Optimus wrung it out into the dirt and handed it to Megatron who grumbled as he cleaned himself up as well. Optimus wanted to stay out here with him all night, possibly for round four...or five. Megatron sent back eager agreement at that and he laughed out loud.

He stood shakily and popped his back struts. He’d be able to transform and drive home but he was going to feeling all of that tomorrow. He looked down at Megatron still sitting on the ground with affectionate optics. “As much as I would love to stay out here with you forever I need to be getting back. They’ve probably just figured out I’m gone. Even Bumblebee can’t fool Jazz and Prowl for long.”

Megatron looked at him blankly before he felt a stab of incredulity through the bond. “Optimus, did you not tell your officers where you were going?”

Optimus was confused. “Of course not. They never would have let me come out here if I had, Ratchet probably would have sat on me himself. Why? Did you tell your officers where you were going?”

Megatron burst out laughing. The sound of it made him smile except for the fact that he was laughing at him.

Megatron finally got his venting under control as he looked up at him with glittering red optics. “I told my officers exactly where I was going and what I planned to do, or should I say whom, when I got here. They’ve been working diligently, well Soundwave has anyway, while I’m gone to come up with acceptable terms for our negotiated truce. You better run along home and play catch up. I imagine Prowl won’t appreciate that you’ve given my side a head start.”

Optimus’s jaw dropped open and Megatron chuckled at him again. That was...he sent a pointed " _slagger"_ through their bond.

Megatron rumbled in satisfaction and mirth as he stood up and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Ah, yes, but now I’m _your_ slagger.”

Optimus was annoyed but his fondness for him drowned it out in their mingled fields.

He jumped as he received six different urgent pings all at once. Ah scrap he’d been found out.

He leaned forward and kissed him lightly, pulling away quickly before he could deepen it and drag him back down to the ground. Once he had him there he wouldn’t have tried to get up. Megatron sent smug satisfaction through the bond at that particular line of thought.

Optimus sighed. “I’ll see you again very soon, regardless of the consequences I'm about to weather. That is a promise. But you’re right, we’d better get to work making sure nothing keeps us apart like this again.”

His optics smoldered at him as he released his hips and nodded once. Optimus knew he had to be the first to go as his urgent comms were piling up, he was up to thirteen and seven of them were from Ratchet. But neither one of them wanted to leave. It felt amazing to bask in the contented hum of their sparks circulating back and forth between them as they stood next to each other.

Regret in his field again as he turned and made a running transformation into his alt-mode. He let his happiness flow freely through their bond, he wanted to reassure him and also himself.

This would work out. Even if Ratchet did blow a gasket...and a carburetor...maybe his actuator too.

He knew this was the right choice because he could feel Megatron’s happiness singing through his spark as well. They would make this work.

 

* * *

 

 

Their human friends had insisted on a big wedding.

Optimus wasn’t complaining. Just seeing everyone together, Autobots, Decepticons, and humans without any fighting was miraculous. Well any physical fighting, at least in the case of Starscream vs. literally everyone else. Megatron had very seriously asked him if they really had to invite him. Optimus had made it pointedly clear everyone was invited, even Starscream.

He could feel Megatron’s nervousness through the bond though. A human wedding was very much like the extravagant bonding ceremonies of upper caste mechs back before the war. He had been as reassuring to him as possible but he understood why it was making him anxious.

Soundwave and Ratchet were co-officiating the ceremony together because neither side wanted to cede the responsibility of marrying their leaders to the other. It was perfect really. The sun was shining over the white towers of Accord City, as it was now named because Decepticons didn’t want to live anywhere called ‘Autobot’ city. There had been some more squabbling about the name change as it still started with an 'A.'

Somewhere bells were chiming.

He only had optics for his sparkmate today though. Their hands were clasped together tightly as they stood facing each other before a gathering of all their friends, who were there to joyously witnesses their union. He was sending love and affection and so much excitement through their bond. It was coming back to him from Megatron as well but it was more subdued and still tinged with worry.

Soundwave’s modulated voice almost sounded choked up as he spoke their bonding words. “Do you together promise, in the presence of your friends and comrades, that you will love, protect, and cherish each other for all the rest of your functioning? To pledge your sparks even to each other unto death so that they may be bound as one forever in the Allspark?”

Both of them said “I do” at the same time. Someone in their gathered friends sniffled, it might have been Starscream as it was a particularly high pitched sniffle. Optimus smiled brilliantly and was so pleased when Megatron returned it with an even bigger smile.

Ratchet continued with the last of the official vows, he too sounded a bit gruff. “Then I now pronounce you sparkmates, a bonded pair with all the respect, love, and honor that is afforded to those who have made this great commitment to each other. May the rest of your functioning be blessed with more happiness than you could have ever felt without each other.”

Ratchet and Soundwave then stepped forward and wove one red cord and one purple around their joined hands, tying them together in a looping multicolored knot. It was time to speak their vows.

Optimus was ready, his voice full of sonorous affection. “You have a much better way with words than I ever will but I wanted to make it very clear I intend to love you forever. I may not always _agree_ with everything you think or say but I will always respect your thoughts and opinions. I always have, even when your were trying to offline me. You are my match and my mate in every way. I love you Megatron.”

He felt the tremor in his hands as he ex-vented to steady himself. He was so nervous it was adorable. Megatron sent back annoyance at that thought and Optimus laughed softly.

Megatron braced himself and spoke in his deep orator voice. It made Optimus shiver in delight, Megatron knew very well what his voice did to him and he sent a quick smirk across the link. “I have something I never thought I would have. Peace. Peace of mind, peace of spark, and peace for all Cybertronians. I find myself at a loss for words when I try to describe how much you mean to me. There aren’t enough glyphs in our ancient language to express the depth and breadth of what I feel for you. I’ve tried, scrapped these damn vows at least a thousand times, but in the end I think the glyphs for love everlasting and perfect match come closest. I see them whenever I think of you. I love you Optimus Prime and I intend to invent a few new glyphs to express exactly how much going forward.”

Optimus wasn’t sure when his optics had started to fritz but they were and he didn’t care. He leaned forward and they kissed, their bound hands clasped against each other’s chest. The gathered crowd cheered and Bumblebee whistled loudly and he was pretty sure he could hear someone crying.

It didn’t matter, he had everything he wanted right now, Megatron sent the same powerful love back through their bond and it built into a beautiful crescendo in their fields before breaking over everyone’s heads like an affectionate wave. All the Cybertronians who could feel EM fields gasped in unison, including Soundwave and Ratchet as they had been standing the closest.

Ratchet sputtered and then elbowed Soundwave who had gone completely still, likely trying to reign in his ability to feel their emotions. He was so happy. They both were.

Soundwave and Ratchet cleared their intakes before finishing the ceremony. “Then by the power invested in us by a New United Cybertron we pronounce Megatron and Optimus Prime honored bondmates. Long may you thrive in love and prosperity.”

The crowd cheered again as they kissed a second time. It was the best he’d ever felt. Megatron sent the sly thought that this wasn’t the best he’d ever felt. And when Optimus quirked an optic ridge at that he sent him a string of absolutely explicit thoughts. He sputtered a laugh as he felt his face heat up.

Optimus slapped their joined hands against Megatron’s chest and he rumbled good-naturedly. Soundwave and Ratchet unwound the cords connecting their hands and Optimus took the purple one, Megatron the red. They then pulled their original metal knots out of their subspaces, running the cords through their loops and tying the ends together before slipping it over each other’s heads. Perfect. A blending of something old and something new.

Optimus turned to smile at him. “This was worth waiting 4 million years for.”

Megatron gave him a crooked smile. “While I would have rather not have had to wait that long I’m certainly glad I did.”

Optimus huffed, amused, and grabbed his hand. Both of them ran back down the aisle giddily between their cheering friends as they threw little pieces of glittery paper at them. It was fun, it was perfect.

He had never dared hope for all of this and yet here they were. Every one of them happy and free.

That hopeful thought had come from Megatron’s end of the bond as well. Optimus knew then that this would last. 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Tying the Knot（中文版）](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19250482) by [1485444783](https://archiveofourown.org/users/1485444783/pseuds/1485444783)




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